Calming of the Tempest
by declinedcard
Summary: The lodging house shut down over a year ago, now Jack and Mush have gone their separate ways....
1. Default Chapter

Ok peoples. I know I haven't finished my other stories, but, I have a bit of writers block and wanted to write something else anyway, so, yeah, here goes...

Jack Sullivan was feeling low. Really low. He and Sarah had just argued for the third time this week and Sarah had told him to leave her parent's house and never come back. This had happened before, but Jack knew that this time it was for real. Sarah's father had followed him out the door and, in the hallway, told Jack that he thought that Sarah was right, that the thing between him and Sarah was not meant to be, that Jack obviously was not fit to marry, and would Jack please stay away from her. Jack, already tense because of his argument with Sarah, blew up at Mr. Jacob, shouting in his anger that, no, he would never come back, but not because of anything that Mr. Jacob, or Sarah for that matter, said. It was his own choice, he told the man. And he didn't want to have anything to do with either of them, ever again. Jack had stormed out of the building and, for several blocks, his anger had kept him warm and walking, but, now he noticed that the overcast skies above were beginning to spit snow and it was bone-chillingly cold. Stepping into the first tavern he saw, he ordered a straight whiskey, hoping to somehow warm himself and forget his troubles at the same time. As he sat sipping the fiery drink, he contemplated what he was going to.

Jack didn't have any place to go. The lodging house for newsies had shut down three weeks after the strike because Mr. Kloppman had a heart attack and the boys each attempted to acquire new, and sometimes better accommodations, scattering far and wide with the effort. Jack had moved with the Jacob family to San Francisco, he and David being as close as brothers and all, and he had remained there for the last year, doing his part to help support the family. He and Sarah had gotten pretty close over that year as well, and he had spoken with Mr. Jacob, and Sarah, about possibly pursuing an engagement with her, but, now, with the falling out between him and Mr. Jacob and Sarah, his family, girl, and shelter was gone. And he was broke. Actually, that was what caused the arguments between him and Sarah in the first place. He had gotten laid off his job as a dock worker (it paid better than selling newspapers) and hadn't told the Jacobs, thinking that he would get a new job quickly and they would never know the difference until he told them. Well, getting a job had proved harder than it sounded. Work was scarce and Jack had been out until late at night every evening for the last week and a half. Sarah, not knowing the reason for this, thought the worst and began to accuse Jack of being unfaithful. This made him angry, and two evenings this week, they had each retired to their rooms after a shouting match. Jack didn't tell Sarah about the job because things were already tight in the Jacob household and he didn't want her to worry about money any more than she had to. He knew that the family counted on his contribution as much as they did on Mr. Jacob's. So, finally their conflict climaxed and Jack told her the truth. Unfortunately, instead of appeasing Sarah, it only angered her more that he hadn't been leveling with her. She told him that she didn't think that he was fit to be a husband if it meant keeping secrets from his wife and letting her think and worry about the worst. The conflict ended with Jack in the streets.

Jack finished his fourth drink, and, about drunk by now, ordered still another. The bartender shook his head. "Nope, not til you pay for the others." Jack laughed drunkenly and explained that he was broke. The bartender yelled and cursed at him, then had a couple fellows throw him out into the snow.

So now here he was. The immediate cold sobered him up a little and he began to think more seriously. No job, no home, no food. He didn't even have a friend to ask, confining most of his social life to the Jacobs and their friends, and he did not want to explain to any of them that he had gotten kicked out of the Jacob home. _Oh well_, he tried to tell himself. _ It's not like you've never slept in the streets before, or gone hungry for that matter. _With a sigh, not really convinced, he set about stumblingly to find a sheltered nook in an alley or something. He finally settled on an old wooden box and wormed his way into the most comfortable position. It was snowing pretty heavily now and Jack attempted to stuff himself even further into the box to have a bit more shelter. It took awhile, but, eventually, weary from the physical, mental, and emotional exertion of the day and from the drink, he fell asleep.


	2. Mush

Mush had a pretty rough go of it after the lodging house shut down. He continued to sell papers for a while after that, but the income came nowhere near to paying for rent (as it was for most of the newsies) and he found himself sleeping on the streets more often than not. Finally, he found himself at the end of his rope. He was penniless, homeless, starving, and his clothes were practically rotting off his back. He didn't even _have_ shoes any more. He wandered around, begging for work, but none was to be had, until he was approached by a decent looking man in a blue suit two months after leaving the lodging house.

The man inquired his name and about his family and work, then, after looking the boy over critically, made him an offer. "Listen Mush," he said. "My name is Jeffrey Chambers. My wife and I are traveling by wagon to California. We're taking two wagons, due to the fact that we are taking seven children, and I will need a driver for the second wagon. If you want to help me, you will be paid with food, clothes, and as much shelter as I can offer."

Mush was so shocked by the abrupt offer, that he could barely stutter out his acceptance, but, once he made himself clear, Jeffrey Chambers broke into a wide smile. "All right, then." he said. "Let's go get you some new clothes."

Mush endured the most wonderful evening he'd had in a long time. Mr. Chambers bought him a whole new set of clothes, as well as some extras, and took him to his home to meet his wife and have a hot meal.

The Chambers were a fairly wealthy couple who were unable to have children. Jeffrey was an ordained minister, but had been removed from his pulpit due to objections to his teaching. Since then, he and his wife, feeling called to parenthood, had adopted seven children from orphanages. His means of support was a large inheritance left him by his father after his death.

Recently, Jeff and Mary, his wife, felt called by God to go to San Francisco, California and begin a children's home and a church there. Jeff began making plans, but quickly realized that he would have to have help on the trip. He was walking towards the employment agency when he noticed a young mulatto man. The boy was sitting on the front steps of a house and looking very forlorn. Jeff was going to pass by, but as he walked on, a voice inside of him said, "Go back. There's the help you're looking for."

Jeff hesitated. "But Lord," he said. "I don't know this boy or anything about him. He could murder my family for all I know."

Once again, that voice, telling him to go back. With a sigh, Jeff obeyed and went back to the boy sitting on the steps. And so our story picks up.

The Chamber family and Mush headed out on the trail about a week later. The novelty of riding in a wagon quickly wore off and Mush found himself falling into his bedroll every night exhausted. Not only was he driving a wagon, but was also responsible for the three little boys that rode inside. But, as the days and weeks passed, he found himself growing stronger and more and more drawn to Jeff and Mary Chambers. They had something in them. Something that made them different from the adults Mush had been around most of his life. There was no yelling, no cussing, no fighting. Even the children seemed more peaceful than any Mush had ever known.

Three months after leaving New York, the little group pulled into Kansas City. There was a revival there that night, Jeff excitedly informed his family when he returned from getting supplies in the city. They would all go, Mush included, he decided. So Mush found himself sitting in a huge tent that night, listening as the speaker began to tell the story of Jesus. The man spoke of Jesus' miraculous birth, of His perfect life and of His teachings. Of sin, and how it entered the world and it's affect on man's relationship with God. Then the speaker told about Jesus' death, how He was flogged, mocked, unjustly accused, and crucified. "Why? Why would such a good man, the Son of God, be treated like this? Why didn't God just reach down and smite those hurting His precious Son? Why did Jesus allow it? The reason is summed up in this: God so loved the world that He gave His Son for it to be reconciled to Him. And the Son did as His Father asked. He died so that you, and I, might not get what we deserve-hell for eternity. Are you going to reject this gift? This gift of life offered so freely, though at such a great price?"

Mush sat in his seat, trembling. He had never heard, or felt, anything like this before. Something welled up inside of him, and suddenly he realized that it was hate and disgust. Hate and disgust at himself. He saw himself as he truly was. An immoral, unjust wretch. And he began to see that he was filthy before God, and, yes, truly deserving of an eternity of torture. What could he do? He moaned, with his head down. He was lost-had sinned and was lost from the presence of God and everything good forever. Then he heard the speaker say, "Do you see your guilt? Do you see your eternity? Do not sit and wail, ask forgiveness of your God. Ask that the blood of Jesus, which was shed for those very sins you feel now, would cover you. Jesus will answer."

Mush found himself on his knees, crying out in anguished tones, "God have mercy on me! Do not throw me into hell! Jesus cover me!" And suddenly he was filled with a huge peace and joy that he had never felt before. He was forgiven, and he knew it.

For some time, he remained on his knees, filled with inexpressible joy, thanking Jesus. When he finally stood, wiping the tears from his eyes, Jeff stood before him. Neither of them said a word, but Jeff just pulled him into a tight embrace, saying "Thank you, God." over and over again.

Mush's newfound faith came alive to him in the next few weeks as he studied the Bible that Jeff gave him at night. He learned more about God and about history as he pored over its pages by the light of the fire. The journey didn't seem as hard now, although it, and he, had its moments.

They reached San Francisco three months later and Mush threw himself into the mission that Jeff and Mary started soon after arriving. He found that he had the gift of communicating with poor, wretched boys in similar situations to what he had lived before. He found his faith almost daily lifted as he was able to minister to one boy or another.

One evening, late in November, Mush found himself wandering the streets. He didn't know why he was out this late, only that the Lord wanted him to be. It was snowing pretty heavily, as it had been for the last three nights. He was cold and hungry and just about ready to head back to the mission, thinking that he must have made some mistake, when he heard a groan coming from an alley nearby. Peering carefully into the shadowy darkness, he heard it again. He stepped into the alley, glancing around, aware that it could be muggers, or murderers for that matter, trying to entice a victim. He heard a ruffling sound, and moving toward it, saw a figure lying on the ground, curled up in a ball. Mush put his hand tentatively on the shoulder of what he now saw to be a man. The figure hardly moved, just stiffened up at his touch and groaned again. Mush carefully turned the man over. Shock and pity struggled for a place in his countenance as he looked down on that of his old friend, Jack Kelly.


	3. Where am I?

It had been a month since Jack had left the Jacob household and his condition had only gone downhill. He moved from the alley where he had originally spent the night to a part of town far from the Jacobs. It was a pretty lousy area, but, hey, Jack Kelly had spent most of his life in shady areas. He had basically lived on scraps he found and on the generosity of a church down the street for the last few weeks, while he searched for work. Three days ago, starving and freezing, he managed to get a job shoveling coal for a bar. He received a little bit of money in addition to all he could eat. Yesterday, though, he had been walking down the street with the three days earnings in his pocket and three young fellows had jumped him, dragging him into an alley and, after emptying his pockets, proceeded to beat him unconscious. When Jack finally awoke, it was midmorning of the next day and snowing. He didn't have the strength to walk anywhere, but he did make an effort to pull a couple loose boards over him as a minimal protection from the snow. Then he fell into a dead sleep. He dreamed of Sarah, of the Jacob family. He dreamed that he was warm, and dry and full....

Jack's eyes snapped open. Where was he? he wondered, looking about the room in which he lay. It was a simple room, yet warm and clean. Jack himself was warm, and yes, clean too. Wondering what had brought on this transformation, Jack tried to sit up, but the pain in his head stopped him and he fell back with a stifled groan. The noise brought another person into the room, one which Jack thought he knew..."Mush?"

Mush moved quickly to the side of Jack's bed. "Hey Jackie-boy." He said, grinning down at his friend.

Jack looked around the room again. "Where am I, and what are you doing here, Mush?"

"You're in my room here at the mission."

Jack looked more confused than ever. "Whaddya talking about, Mush? What mission? Where am I?"

Mush sighed and sat down. "I guess I better start at the beginning." And he proceeded to tell Jack what had happened over the last year. Jack lay silently listening for the most part. "And, so, I was walking the streets and found ya, laying in that alley. Boy were you a mess."

Jack looked at his friend. Mush did look different. "So, you got religion. What's it got you, Mush? Does it pay more than selling papes, or what?"

"Doesn't pay anything in money, except what I live on."

"Then why you doin' it?"

Mush almost laughed. But, looking at Jack, laying there with a half-perplexed look on his face, Mush didn't find it funny after all. Jack didn't understand, he realized. How could he? He'd never heard the Gospel before, never seen someone's life change dramatically when they realized their sin and, through the blood of Jesus, were brought to God.s

"I ain't doing it for money, Jack." He said quietly. "I'm doing it because I'm called to. There's something bigger out there than me that's commanded me to do this, and I'm obeying."

Jack just stared and Mush smiled at him. "We'll talk more later, kay Jackie? Right now you better sleep some more."

Jack cocked an eyebrow, then nodded. "Sure thing." Then he closed his eyes and, almost immediately, drowsiness overtook him and he was asleep.

Mush stood next to the bed, watching his friend sleep. "Dear God, save him." He prayed fervently. "Don't let him die without you."


End file.
